Diseases of hamsters

Hamsters, like other animals, are susceptible to various diseases. How do you know what your pet has fallen ill and how are the diseases of hamsters treated?

Infectious Diseases

The hamsters are most sensitive to infectious diseases. They are infected, as a rule, from sick animals. To treat infectious diseases of hamsters is quite problematic. Often, sad as it may seem, the only way out is to destroy the animal.

So, let's consider the most common infectious diseases, to which hamsters are susceptible. When plague for an animal is characterized by lethargy in behavior, ruffled hair, bouts of muscle cramps of limbs, as well as cyanotic skin and mucous membrane. As a rule, such a disease leads to the death of the animal.

With infectious pneumonia in its acute form, hamsters lose their appetite, move little, and their temperature rises. There is a frequent cough, in the lungs can be heard wheezing, and mucous discharges flow from the nose . In chronic form, these symptoms are less pronounced. From this disease, hamsters can be cured, fortunately, it is possible. Usually, with infectious pneumonia, the veterinarian prescribes a course of treatment with sulfanilamide preparations, antibiotics, and recommends giving him glucose and vitamin C.

When infecting hamsters with a diplococcal infection, they can observe signs such as lack of mobility, fever, pale mucous membranes, discharge from the nose, coughing, wheezing, loss of appetite. If you have a suspicion that your pet is infected with this particular disease, then do not waste time and contact your doctor. In order for death to occur, just a few days is enough. And for the treatment, an injection of antidipococcal serum is necessary.

Perhaps in hamsters and such, at first glance, human disease, like tuberculosis. With it, animals can observe not only a rise in temperature, pale mucous membranes and cough, but in the case of intestinal damage - diarrhea, lack of appetite and ruffling of the coat. Unfortunately, it is impossible to cure hamsters.

Non-contagious diseases of hamsters and their treatment

Now we will deal with non-communicable diseases. Their cause may be poor conditions of detention, a lack of vitamins or the activity of parasites in the animal's body.

So, the cause of rickets, for example, may be a lack of sunlight or a lack of minerals and vitamin D. There are also cases when this disease occurs as a result of violations of the glands of internal secretion. A cage with a hamster that fell ill with rickets should be placed in a bright room.

From poor conditions of detention, for example, drafts, respiratory diseases can occur. To prevent or eliminate them at an early stage, you need to place the cage in a warmer room and feed the animal with full-fledged food.

The activity of parasites, in particular, worms, leads to the exhaustion of the animal. At an early stage, what they are, is imperceptible neither in the behavior, nor in the appearance of the animal. But later, due to irritation of the intestines in hamsters, diarrhea begins. In this case, you should consult with a specialist about which remedy for worms will help your pet better.

Another dangerous disease that can be observed in hamsters is the "wet tail". Symptoms of this disease - diarrhea, loss of appetite, as well as rectal bleeding. Another sign of the "wet tail" is a tousled coat. Consultation with a veterinarian in this case is mandatory, because the symptoms of the disease are very similar to the signs of other diseases. To treat the "wet tail" use antibiotics.

As you can see, the symptoms of diseases in hamsters are very similar. They do not differ too much depending on the breed - the diseases of Djungar hamsters, for example, can also occur in angora.